Chapter Text
The tow truck is dirty and gross as far as Carina is concerned. But she didn’t have much of a choice. It was either ride with the tow truck driver to where her car is being brought or get a ride. Carina didn’t want to bother anyone. Especially not so early in the day. She was on her way to work when she heard a loud clunk and her car quit working.
“We are almost there.” The driver informs her.
“Okay. thanks.” Carina smiles kindly.
“So, what do you do?”
“Oh.” Carina is a little surprised this man wants to strike up a conversation. “I’m a doctor.”
“What kind? Heart? Cuz you make me heart beat faster. Maybe you can examine me.” He smirks grimily.
Carina clutches her purse tighter in her lap. She feels even more gross now. She leans away from him. “How much further?”
“A few blocks.”
“How about that examine, sweetheart?” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“No. Just no. I’m not a heart doctor. I’m also not interested in you. Just let’s get to the auto shop.” She prays that this guy will just shut up. She also prays that he doesn’t try to touch her.
The drivers grumbles but doesn’t say anything else.
She wants to get out of the tow truck as soon as they pull into the parking lot of the auto repair shop. But the driver starts backing her car into a parking space before she has a chance to hop out. So she waits and looks out the window for a place to hurry off too as soon as the tow truck comes to a stop.
The driver stops a few seconds later. Carina jumps out as soon as she can and scurries over to a red brick building. The bay doors line the side of the building but Carina moves to the small person door on the front corner of the building. She exhales in relief as the door closes behind her. She feels safer in the presence of another person, in the building, away from the scummy tow truck driver.
A man, bald on the top of his head, a white mustache above his upper lip greets her with a small smile. “Hi, how can I help you?”
Carina looks over the shoulder back out the glass windows of the front of the building. “My car is on the tow truck.” Carina turns back for the man behind the desk. His name tag reads Pruitt. “I- uh- I know nothing about cars so I don’t know what’s wrong with it. There was a clunk and it wouldn’t move after that.”
Carina has been thinking about getting a new car and now she regrets not doing it sooner.
“What make and model?” Pruitt gets out a paper and a pen.
“Uh, Chevy?”
Pruitt chuckles at her uncertainty but not in a mean way. Lighthearted, like he’s seen this sort of thing before. Because he has. “No worries. We’ll get you sorted out.”
Carina’s cheeks heat up a bit in embarrassment at not even knowing what kind of car she drives.
“If you want to take a seat. Once the driver comes in, we’ll get started.” He motions to the seating area.
Carina nods and takes a seat. The waiting area has a table with various magazines on it. There is a small tv in the corner. The morning national news is on. There is a water jug with little paper cups beside it. There is even a small play area in the corner to keep little kids busy while they and their guardian wait for their vehicle to get worked on.
A few minutes pass and a man comes to the front through a door. Carina hears the noise as the door opens and the sounds of the workshop area enter her ears.
“Got another one for ya, Cap.” He hands a clipboard to Pruitt.
“Thanks, Jack.” He takes the clipboard and works up the invoice on the computer before calling the customer up on the phone to let them know their vehicle is finished and ready for pick up.
Carina watches as Jack disappears back into the work area.
The front door chimes as her tow truck driver enters.
“Hey, Sean. What do you have?”
Sean, the tow driver, looks over at Carina. “Not sure. Parked the car. It’s all yours now.” He throws the keys on the counter. “Miss thang over there wasn’t too excited by me.” He throws Carina a scowl.
Carina ducks her head.
“Get out of here, Beckett.” Pruitt shoos him away.
Sean throws a dismissive wave as he exits.
Pruitt takes a clipboard from under the desk. “I’m gonna go get some info from your vehicle. I’ll be right back.”
Carina nods. She’s left in the waiting area by herself. She bounces her leg nervously as she waits.
The phone starts ringing and Carina looks outside wondering if she should tell Pruitt but she sees that he is busy sitting inside the front seat of her car.
The ringing stop but then a women comes through the door from the workshop.
There is surprise at seeing a woman in the same sort of workwear that the man, Jack, was wearing. Her hair is blonde and pulled back into a short ponytail. The woman sets a clipboard on the desk and then looks around.
Carina watches as the blonde’s brows knit together in confusion.
“He’s outside.” Carina speaks up.
Maya looks in her direction and they lock eyes.
Carina feels the woman’s eyes taking her in, sizing her up, judging her. She does a similar thing though, checking the blonde out, seeing that she’s wearing what looks like mechanic wore clothes. A dark blue button down short sleeve shirt and a pair of pants made from the same material in the same dark blue color.
The blonde nods and flips her gaze out the window to see Pruitt approaching the building.
Before they both know it, Pruitt is coming back in. “Oh.” He sees Maya standing there.
“I’ve got those tires mounted.” The blonde finally speaks. Her voice catches Carina a little bit. She’s not sure what she expected the blonde to sound like but she’s pleasantly surprised. It’s a mix of both soft yet somewhat deep but not too deep that she sounds manly.
“Thanks. You want to start on this one. Customer said there was a clunk and it quit moving.” He glances over at Carina and gives her a teasing smile.
Carina nods in confirmation of the man’s words.
Maya takes the clipboard from Pruitt and glances at it briefly. “Does it drive?”
“Not sure.” Pruitt moves behind the desk again. “That’s for you to figure out. I’m sure you’ll found out what’s going on, kid.” He claps Maya on the shoulder.
Maya hums and heads outside.
“Okay.” Pruitt waves Carina over. “Let get some info. Firstly, a name?”
“Carina. DeLuca. Capital L.”
Pruitt nods and looks to Carina. “Address?”
She gives him her address and a phone number.
“Okay, we will look everything over and let you know what the issue is and what fixes are recommended and a price.”
“Sounds good.”
“Do you need a ride?” Pruitt asks.
“Oh, that would be great, if possible.”
The door chimes and Carina and Pruitt glance in the direction.
“It runs but doesn’t drive.” Maya explains as they look at her. “I’ll need help getting it in the shop. I’ll get Jack to help.” Maya is about to head through the door into the shop.
“Wait. I’m going to need you to give this woman a ride.”
Carina smiles.
“Okay.” Maya grabs a set of keys from a hook on the wall. “This way.”
“We’ll give you a call.” Pruitt calls out as Maya is already out the door.
“Thanks.” Carina nods at the man and hurries after the blonde.
They approach a white shop truck with rust spots above the wheel-wells. Carina hopes it’s not as gross as the tow truck. The outside isn’t exactly a beauty, so her expectations are low.
“Hop in. Buckle up. I’ll take er easy.”
Carina isn’t sure if she’s supposed to say thank you. She gets in and is pleasantly surprised by how clean and welcoming the single cab is. “Wow.”
The blonde chuckles as she starts the truck. Maya knows the truck isn’t exactly a winner.
“This is far better than the tow truck I rode in.”
“How so?” she raises an eyebrow, clearly ready for an assessment of the tow truck from this woman who clearly is dressed for some sort of professional environment. Maya clearly noticed the dress pants, high heels, and fancy blouse.
Carina looks over at the blonde. “Well, the company is better. Unless you are going to hit on me in some disgusting way.”
Maya smirks. “I would never hit on you in a disgusting way.”
Carina feels like there’s a but in there somewhere. “But?”
The blonde shrugs. “I would consider hitting on you.”
Carina smiles shyly and looks away from her driver.
“Where to m’lady?” Maya needs to know where she supposed to drive.
“Grey-Sloan Hospital.”
“Oh.” She gasps theatrically. “Am I in the presence of a doctor?” Maya wiggles her eyebrows.
“You are. Dr. Carina DeLuca.”
“Wow. Call me impressed. May I ask what kind?” She puts the truck in gear and gets them on their way.
Carina hums and thinks this is so much nicer of a conversation than in the tow truck.
“And it doesn’t smell like those fried onion things in a bag in here.”
Maya laughs. “Funyuns?”
“Si, those.”
The blonde scowls. “Beckett’s an ass. He rubs everyone the wrong way. I’m sorry you had to deal with that so early this morning.” Maya feels bad because she knows how awful Sean Beckett can be. “So, Dr. DeLuca, you didn’t answer my question?”
Carina smirks. “On purpose.”
Maya raises an eyebrow. “What’s the purpose?”
“You have to buy me a drink first.”
Maya bites her lower lip. “Bold of you.”
Carina shrugs. “What’s your name, mechanic lady?”
Maya likes how this is going. This woman doesn’t know her name yet. She’s going to have to do more to earn more info about Carina.
“In this day and age, you know I could look you up. Doctor.” Maya threatens.
“True. I doubt your place of work has a website with their employee’s bios on it like mine does.” She sighs. Maybe this game is already over.
“It doesn’t.” She confirms.” What if I want to remain anonymous?” She nearly whispers the words, hoping to sound mysterious.
“I don’t like that.” Carina pouts.
Maya laughs again.
It’s three times now that Carina has heard that laugh and each time is better than the last.
“Okay, we’re here.” Maya puts the truck in part and looks over at Carina. She folds her hands in her lap.
That ride was way too quick, in Carina’s opinion. “Wow. Okay. Thanks for the ride-?” She waits for a name.
“Bishop. Maya Bishop.” The blonde holds her hand out.
Carina chuckles. “Okay, James Bond.”
“No. Maya Bishop.” She grins cheekily.
Carina takes Maya’s hand. “Should I give you a gratuity?”
Maya shakes her head but smiles. “It’s part of our service. We want to take care of our customers. Whatever they need.” She squeezes Carina hand as she shakes it, subtly appraising said hand.
“Your customer service is very good.” Carina smiles at Maya and her firm grip.
“Thank you.” Maya grins. “Pruitt will call you when I figure out what’s wrong with your car.”
“Thank you, Maya. Grazie.” She licks her lips and pulls her hand back from Maya’s. There handshakes lingering longer than it probably should.
Maya raises an eyebrow that the word she doesn’t recognize. “No problem. It’s my job after all.”
“Yes, but thank you for this. I was-“ She debates saying her true thoughts and feelings. “I was alarmed and a little scared by being in a confined space with that guy. You, not at all.”
Maya nods in understanding. “That's cuz Beckett isn’t a gentleman and I am.”
Carina hums at that. This woman is something. She smiles, takes her bag in her left hand and reaches for the door handle. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”
Maya nods.
There’s a silly little smile on her face as Carina enters the hospital. Her day had started so poorly but now she finds herself smiling as she enters her workplace.